Automatic spoke facing and tapering machine.



N0. 68!,049. Patented Aug. 20, l90l. G. A. ENSIGN.

AUTOMATIC SPOKE FACING AND TAPERING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 16. 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

flaw/9 A BY A ATTORNEYS THK Noam: PiTERS 00., PHOTCA'LIYHQ. WASHINGTON. n, 0..

No. sa|,o49. Patented Aug. 20, I90l.

a. A. ENSIGN.

AUTOMATIC SPOKE FACING AND TAPERING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 16. 1901.)

(No Model!) 4Sheets-$heet :2.

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X m. 68l,0 49. Patented Aug. 20, mm. I V a. A. ensue".

AUTOMATIC SPOKE FACING AND TAPERING MACHINE.

I (Application filed Mar. 16. 1901.

(No Model.) 4 SheeIs-Shaet 3.

WITNESSES: I A INVENTOI? I 4- 2Z2 @Zm/% w r f? I ATTORNEYS p1: ngnms PETERS 110.. m-wrou'mo.v WASHINGTON o. c;

No. 6BI,049.- Patented Aug. 20, 1901. I

A a. A. ENSIGN. AUTOMATIC SPOKE FACING AND' TAPEBING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 16. 1801.) (No Model.) R, 4 Shuts-Sheet 4.

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eEoRcEA. ENSIGN, 011 DEFIANOE, onio, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEFIANGE MACHINE wonKs, or SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC SPOKE FACING AND TAPERING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,049, dated August 20, 1901.

ApplitationLfiled March 16, 1901. Serial No. 51,436. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

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Be it known that I,GEORGE A. ENSIGN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Defiance, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Spoke Facing and Tapering Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to wood-working machines andits object is to provide a new and improved facing and tapering machine more especially designed for jointing, facing, and tapering the edges of spokes and for reducing the width of thetenons to the exact dimensions required and toproperly and accurately fit the mortises in the hub of the wheel, the machine being completely automatic in operation and requiring no manual handling of the spokes While in the machine and at the same time finishing spokesin large quantities in a The invention consists of; novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

. A practical embodiment of the invention is side elevation of the same with the carriage at the end of the working stroke.- Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same with the carriage on Fig. 5. is aplan view of the spoke before entering the machine, and

b Fig. 6 is alike view of the spoke when finished by the machine.

On a suitably-constructed frame A is arranged a longitudinally-extending guideway B, in which is mounted to reciprocate a carriage O, supporting at its top a spoke D, the edges of which are faced and tapered, as hereinafter more fully described. The carriage C is pivotally connected at its forward end by a link E with a lever E, having a slot E and fulcrumed at its lower end on a fixed pivot E carried by the frame A of the machine. In the slot E is mounted to slide a block E engaged by the wrist-pin F of a crank-arm F on a crank-shaft F, extending transversely and journaled in suitable bearings carried on the main frame A. The crankshaft F receives a slow rotary motion by a suitable driving-gear F from a counter-shaft G, carrying fast and loose pulleys G,connected by a belt with other machinery for imparting a rotary motion to said counter-shaft G, which inturn imparts a slow rotary motion by the gear F to the crank-shaft F. The crank-arm F of the crank-shaft imparts a swinging motion by the block E to the lever E, so that the link E causes the carriage O to reciprocate in its guidcway B in such a manner that during the forward or working stroke the carriage travels slowly, and during the return stroke the carriage travels quickly, on account of the block E traveling in the upper portion of the slot E during the forward stroke and in the lower portion of the slot on the return stroke of the carriage, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3.

On the counter-shaft G, previously mentioned, are secured pulleys Gr G connected by belts G G with pulleys G secured on upright spindles H H, carrying cutter-heads I 1', respectively, located on opposite sides of the spoke B to trim the side edges thereof, as hereinafter more fully described. The spindles H H are journaled in suitable bearings H H adjustably held by screws H H on saddles J J, mounted to slide transversely in suitable guideways K K, carried by the frame A.

The saddles J J are provided with bearings J J engaged by crank-arms L L, respectively, extending upwardly from rock-shafts L L journaled in suitable bearings and provided with depending crank-arms L L engaging the cam-faces of camsN N, secured to the crank-shaft F, previously mentioned, so that when said crank-shaft is rotated as described then the cams N N imparta swinging motion to said crank-arms L L to rock the shafts L L and cause the crank-arms L L to impart an outward swinging movement to the saddles J J and move the cutter-heads I I away from the sides of the spokes D at the time the carriage O is at the beginning of the return stroke. (See Fig. 4.) The inward movement of the saddles J J is caused by springs O O, fastened at the outer ends to the saddles by an adjusting-screw and at the inner ends to the guideways K K, as indicated in Fig. 4. The inward movement of the saddles J J is limited by adjustable stops J J, preferably in the form of screws, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, said screw being adapted to abut against the outer faces of the bearings K K, in which the saddles are mounted to slide transversely.

The inner end of the saddle J is provided with a friction-roller P, adapted to travel on the outer edge of a guide-bar Q, removably secured to the corresponding side of the carriage O, the forward end of said guide-bar be ing formed with an incline or bevel Q, as is plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 4..

Now when the carriage is at the beginning of its forward stroke and the spoke D is in position on the carriage and the cutter-heads I I are in an innermost position and the countershaft G is rotated then during the forward stroke of the carriage the cutter-heads trim or cut the side edges of the spoke D as the latter is moved forward with the carriage. The cutter-head I while in the innermost position trims the corresponding side of the spoke D perfectly straight, while the other cutter-head I first cuts its side of the spoke to a bevel corresponding to the bevel Q, on which travels the friction-roller P and causes an outward sliding of the saddle J and the cutter-head I. When the friction roller P finally travels on the straight side of the guide-bar Q, then the cutter-head I trims the remaining portion of the side of the spoke in a line parallel to the side trimmed by the other cutter-head I, as above explained. Now as soon as the cutters have trimmed the sides of the spoke D the desired distance during the forward movement of the carriage G then the cams N N impart a swinging motion to the crank-arms L L so as to rock the shafts L and L and thereby cause the crank-arms L L to slide the saddles J J outward to move the cutter-heads I I away from the sides of the spoke. During '-the-following return stroke the now-finished spoke is removed and another one to be trimmed is placed in position on the carriage, so that on the next forward stroke of the carriage the above-described operation is repeated-that is, the cutter-heads I I trim the sides of the new spoke. The cutter-head I trims its sides in a straight line, while the other cutter-head I first froms a bevel and then a straight line parallel to the other side of the spoke. It is understood that before the carriage reaches the end of its return stroke the cams N N allow the crank-arms L L the rock-shafts L L crank-arms LL, and the saddles J J to return to an inner active position by the action of thesprings O O, thefriction-roller P again engaging the outer end of the bevel Q on the guide-bar Q.

In order to properly support the spoke D on the top of the carriage C, I prefer the arrangement shown in the drawings, and consisting, essentially, of a front rest R and a back rest R,secured to the top of the carriage, the front rest R receiving the bottom of the tenon D and the adjacent shoulder thereof, the front end of the tenon engaging the under side of a guide S, held vertically adjustable on an elongated pin S by means of a set= screw S It will be noted that the guide 8 is inclined on its front face at an angle of about forty to forty-five degrees and that its lower edge or portion is horizontal. This form facilitates placing the spoke B in position, since the tenon D of the spoke is placed against the elongated incline and allowed to slide downward, whereby it is guided into the required position, so that the tenon projects beneathlthe bottom portion of the guide S and rests upon the support I, with which its shoulder also abuts, as shown.

The outer end of the spoke D is held between a transversely-adjustable pin R and a spring-arm R engaging the spoke D at opposite sides, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 1, and in order to hold the spoke against any possible lateral movement an additional transversely-adjustable gage R is arranged on the top of the carriage for engaging that side of the spoke D on which operates the cutterhead I, said gage B being located between the rest It and the pin R at or near the end of the cut made by the cutter-head I. The guide S, the pin R the spring-arm R and the gage R are all held longitudinally adjustable on the top of the carriage O to properly locate the said parts relatively to the length of the spoke under treatment. The parts R R R are also held transversely adjustable on the top of the carriage to accom-' modate spokes of different thicknesses.

From the foregoing it is evident that the attendant of the machine simply places a spoke in position on the top of the carriage O at the time the latter is on the return stroke, so that the stroke is accurately trimmed simultaneously on opposite sides by the cutter-heads I I during the forward stroke of the carriage. The attendant removes the finished spoke as soon as the cutter-heads I I move into their outermost position and then places a new spoke on the top'of the carriage to be trimmed in the manner above described.

It is understood that for spokes of different sizes it is only necessary for the operator to adjust the screw-rods H H and for spokes of difierent taper correspondinglyshaped guide-bars Q are required.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A facing and tapering machine, comprising a reciprocating carriage for supporting the article to be treated, cutter-heads for engaging the article on opposite sides, springs for moving said saddles toward each other, and means for moving said saddles outwardly at the time the carriage is at the end of its forward or working stroke, said means comprising rock-shafts, one for each saddle, each rock-shaft having two crank-arms, one for engaging the saddles, and revoluble cams engaging the other crank-arm, as set forth.

2. Afacing and tapering machine,-comprising a reciprocating carriage for supporting the article to be treated, cutter-heads for en gaging the article onopposite sides, springs for moving said saddles toward each other, and means for moving said saddles outwardly at the time the carriage is at the end of its forward or working stroke, said means comprising rock-shafts, one for each saddle, each rock-shaft having two crank-arms, one for engaging the saddles and revoluble cams engaging the other crank-arm, and a driven shaft carrying said cams and having an operative'connection with said carriage, as set forth.

3. In a facing and tapering machine, the combination with a fixed bed, a carriage adapted to slide therein, and rotary cutters arranged on the sides of the carriage-way, of

holding devices attached to the upper side of the carriage, and comprising two fixed verti- -ca1 pins or supports spaced apart on one side,

and the spring-support arranged on the opposite side intermediately of the fixed pins,

shoulder thereof, a guide 011 the top of l the tenon, a rear rest for the outer end of the spoke, a pin at one side of the spoke, and a spring-arm on the other side of the spoke, as set forth.

5. A woodworking-machine having a spokesupport on a carriage, and comprising a front rest for engaging the tenon and the adjacent shoulder thereof, a guide on the top of the tenon, a rear rest for the outer end of the spoke, a fixed pin at one side of the spoke, a spring-arm on the other side of the spoke, and a transversely-adjustable gage for engaging one side of the spoke between said pin and said front rest, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. ENSIGN.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. DEATICH, JOSEPH BAUER. 

